Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-05-27
STEAMERS In COLLISION.
THE BRITANNIA AND CELTIC MEET
IN BROAD OCEAN.
Four Persons Killed by the Shock-Others
Seriously Injured-Both Vessels Safely
in Port-various Conflicting Stories
ToId-Inhumanity Charged.

Told-Inhumanity Charged.
NEW YORK, May 22-The steamer Celtic
from Liverpool and the Britannia from
New York for Liverpool collided May 10
at 5:25 p. m, $50 miles east of Sandy Hook.
Both vessels reached Sandy Hook bar at 1
a. m. to-day and were compelled to re
main there, owing to the dense fog. The
disabled steamers were accompanied to
Sandy Hook by the steamers British
Queen and Marengo to render aid if neces-
sary Four of the Brtannics steerage
passengers were lost. All are well aboard
the Celtic.
The weather at the time of the collision
was calm and the sea was smooth with a
fog at intervals. The Britannia was
struck on the port side and considerably
damaged. Boats were lowered and filled
with women and children from the cabin
and Storage in a very orderly and
expeditions manner To their shame
several men forced themselves into the
boats. 1t was found however that the
vessel was not likely to founder and such
boats as were within hail were recalled
and the occupants received on board. The
others had boarded the Celtic. A pad
was made, and placed over the hole in the
Britannic's side and she was turned about
toward New York, having arranged with
the Celtic to keep her company.
The saddest and most depiorabe re
suit of the accident is that several
steerage passengers who were lying about
aft at the time of the collision were killed
and several others injured The
Celtic's bow is stove in but otherwise the
vessel is not much damaged. The
Britannic's compartment is full of water.
The collision occurred during dense fog,
and the Celtics struck 1.-The Britannia on
the bow in hitting her.
Another report of the collision SAYS
The Celtic struck the Britannia oni her
port side at the mizzen rigging and only
few feet astern of the after end of the
boiler room. The mizzen rigging, iron
work and all was wrenched from the fast
enings the rail was torn from its founda
ton as far aft as the jigger. AS the strik
ing steamer glanced along the side it re-
bounded twice smashing two small boats
and bending a heavy iron force pump
over against the deck like piece of tin
AS the bow struck the pump 1t caught a
steerage passenger and crushed him
against the iron and cut the body com
pletely in two. A little girl named Rob
inson, with her mother and brother was
crushed, her face aud breast being split
riously described. f. Storey Smith of
Boston, passenger of the Britannia, says
there was very dense fog at the time.
The horns were blowing continually. Be
tween $50 and p. m. Thursday we
heard the fog horn of another vessel. /
went on deck and could see the large
black hull of IA steamer bearing down on
us. Signals to slow, | believe, were given
on our vessel. We were proceeding at
about regular fog speed, while the
other steamer seemed to have a
little more than Roadway. AS the
apppros acns vessel discovered us
and struck us obliquely, reboundlng
struck again and again, but with less
force each time and finally she slipped
along under our stern. Half dozen boats
were manned and launched and the la
dies were allowed to embark first. Three
of the boats got off safely and carried the
passengers to the Celtic. AS the fourth
was about to leave Capt. Perry ordered it
to remain saying that there was no cause
to fear.
Smith spoke highly of the discipline of
the crew and conduct of the officers. The
steerage passengers tell different story.
Thirty or more of them found quarters
tonight at the expense of the White Star
line. Among them was Mrs. Robinson,
whose daughter was killed. She spoke
bitterly OF the treatment she received at
the hands of the steamers officials. She
said that after the child was killed it was
represented to her by the stewardess that
the little one was alive and doing well
Al the time she was giving all her atten
ton to her IA years old boy whose arm re-
ceived compound fracture from the fall
ing rigging, When she next inquired af-
ter her daughter she learned that the girls
body had been flung overheard.
Some men passengers say that at the
time of the collision the fog was not so
thick but they could see the Celtic 200
feet or more away They said no tog
horns were blowing but the Britannia
was running slowly. They charge that
when efforts was made to lower the boats
the gear was hard and rusty as though it
had not been used in long time. There
was sudden rush mostly by the men
for the boats until Capt. Perry drew a re-
volver and threatened to shoot the next
man who attempted to enter the boat
The crew were among the most violent in
their attempts to jump into the boats and
several succeeded. Although there was
not sufficient number of life preservers
for the passengers these men seized
any they could lay their hands on.
The wife of the man who was crushed
against the pump, when she saw her
husbands body thrown into the sea be
came frantic and shrieked that she
wanted to follow him and would have
cast herself over the side hal she not
been restrained by another passenger
There was great excitement every where,
crew being as badly frightened as any of
the passengers and very little under
control of their superiors. Eight or 10
people were injured by iron work as it
fell and two are in very critical condition.
Steerage passengers state that it is known
the killed included three men, woman
and girl, but they added their belief
that two or three others whom they had
not seen since the collision might be
among the dead and thrown overheard.
All the bodies were thrown over during
the night after the collision.